Israeli occupation authorities on Sunday began the deportation process of the 12 international activists who were on the second vessel of Freedom Flotilla 5 sent to the Gaza Strip in 2018.

Head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza Zaher Birawi said that the Israeli navy intercepted the vessel and seized it as it was heading to Gaza shore at dawn Saturday.

According to Birawi, some activists refuse to leave and sign papers that include a vow not to try to enter Gaza again, which means that they might face trial.

The flotilla had on board 12 international activists, most of whom are Swedish, including a crew from the London-based Press TV channel.

Last week, the Israeli navy attacked another anti-siege vessel called al-Awda (Return) and detained all those on board.

Freedom Flotilla 5 set off in mid-May from Norway and Sweden and passed by a number of European ports during its journey to the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza Strip has been living under a crippling blockade for over 12 years with all border crossings connecting the enclave with the outside world closed. They might be partially opened in exceptional cases for the entry of goods and passengers.

Swedish solidarity activist, Divina Levrini, one of the many international activists, who were attacked and detained by Israeli naval forces aboard the Freedom Flotilla ship last week, talked to Ma'an regarding the Israeli treatment of international activists inside the Israeli Givon (al-Ramla) prisons.

The international activists were deported to their national countries following two days of detention.

Levrini told Ma'an that when the ship was on 42 nautical miles in international waters, the ship was boarded by the Israeli navy, and "they had talked to our radio operator, who repeatedly told them that we were in international waters and had no intention to cross the border to Israel. That it is a right according to international law to travel in international waters."

"They tasered many of the peace activists. Some got tasered in both head and neck, which could be deadly," Levrini said.

"Our captain received a death threat and I witnessed him get brutally beaten by an Israeli soldier. Many, including myself got beaten. Some were thrown down a ramp and could have broken their necks. One got injured on his foot and there was a lot of blood. He was also punched in his stomach and chest."

Following their detention, the activists were taken to the Ashdod military camp, where they were interrogated on the pretext of "trying to illegally enter into Israel."

Levrini said that the activists refused to say anything before speaking to their lawyers.

"We were strip searched several times and all of our belongings were stolen," Levrini told Ma'an.

"After a while, they pushed me outside and I found all of our clothes, bags and stuff on the ground. Clothes were torn out from the bags and everything was mixed up. I was pushed by a soldier while others stood by and laughed as I was yelled at to collect my belongings and I got 20 seconds to take what was mine. I found two empty bags and my guitar, maybe some t-shirt or other clothing I don't remember because I am still traumatized about it all."

Levrini added that activists were "tortured" in various ways while at the Givon prison; "we were six women in one dirty cell with a hole in the ground."

The Swedish activist said that Israeli prison guards "would come in and yell every one to two hours" and bang on the walls with batons.

"The mind games were really awful. They would give me cigarettes but no lighter. They said that I can use the payphones outside whenever I want but would not give me my money to use them."

Levrini said that activists were separated from each other at some point, after they protested when one of the activists, identified as Larry, asked for a doctor as he was injured in the foot.

"One thing was sure, and that was that when they said something, 9 times of 10 they were lying."

Levrini said that Israeli forces hit one of the female activists, 75, who had a hip replacement surgery four months ago.

"They did not really beat us any time before or after that in jail so we thought that they are so used to beating Palestinians that they forgot our embassies were ready to act if something like that would happen."

The activists requested a doctor afterwards to check on the woman, the Israelis then had "certain conditions" which activists refused and were then told that they could not see the doctor if they do not agree to the conditions.

She added that they were able to see the doctor several hours later but were put in a "small outdoor cell in the scorching heat and hard benched where she couldn't sit."

Levrini said that after waiting for hours before finally seeing the doctor, the doctor told them "in perfect English" that he does not understand English. The 75-year-old female activist "had to Explain in Hebrew, she got no help."

Levrini was deprived of her prescribed medications for 36 hours. She then received half a dose of her only one "important" medicine after the Swedish embassy intervened. "The embassy yelled at a guard to give me my medicines and he said that I would get an appointment with the doctor, but he told me in perfect English that he doesn't understand English and I have to speak in Arabic," she said.

Israeli forces confiscated the activists' driving licenses, medicines, phones, money and credit cards; "most of our luggage is gone. I came home with only a small bag with random clothes I found. I was at sea for two-and-a-half months, so I had much more with me."

Levrini along with several other activists, who were detained by Israeli naval forces, commenced a hunger strike inside the Israeli prison until they received information that other activists, who were deported earlier than them, had safely arrived to their countries.

Levrini said that most of the peace activists did not know that they were being deported until minutes before they were.

Levrini said that the activists' message to the world is that their mission was never about us or the treatment received by the Israeli government; "what the Palestinians go through is much worse."

She pointed out that Israeli forces also confiscated a cargo full of medical supplies and the four ships they were aboard, which were meant to be a gift for Gazans; "of course there are two million souls living in Gaza and we onlyhad four ships, but the symbolic act is important because the fishermen are shot in their own waters and the much needed medical supplies never reaches Gaza."

"There is a genocide going on by an apartheid regime and the world must act, even if it happens in small acts like these."

Levrini concluded that "it was and has always been about raising awareness, making politicians act and making sure that the Palestinians know that we will never forget them. The ships will continue to sail until Gaza is free."

A Palestinian committee in the Gaza Strip announced Saturday that a new flotilla of ships will be set off from the enclave Sunday in a bid to break the 12-year-long Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory.

This was voiced in a press conference held by the National Movement to Break the Siege near Gaza port.

Spokesman for the committee Adham Abu Salmiya called on the Palestinian people in Gaza to rally on Sunday at Gaza port to "tell the world that the Palestinian people will continue their peaceful struggle until the Israeli blockade is lifted" because "Gaza deserves to live".

Two flotillas launched from Gaza Strip during the past few months in an effort to break the siege were intercepted and attacked by the Israeli navy. The first set sail on 29th May while the second on 10th July.

IDF intercepts a second Gaza-bound activist boat, which is part of the 'Freedom Flotilla,' in less than a week; Swedish-flagged ship with 12 activists on board was taken to the Port of Ashdod and the those on board had been taken in for 'further inquiry'; On Sunday, the Israeli navy intercepted a Norwegian-flagged activist boat that was part of the flotilla.

The Israeli navy intercepted a Swedish-flagged activist boat bent on breaching its more than decade-long blockade of Gaza, the second in less than a week, the military said on Saturday.

"The ship was monitored and was intercepted in accordance with international law," the army said in a statement, before the vessel, named Freedom for Gaza and carrying 12 people, was taken to the Port of Ashdod. "The (military) clarified to the ship's passengers that they are violating the legal naval blockade and that any humanitarian merchandise can be transferred to Gaza through the Port of Ashdod," the statement said.

The people on board were taken for "further inquiry".

Freedom was the second boat of the "Freedom Flotilla" to be intercepted en route to "break the blockade" on Gaza, organisers said. The boat was carrying medical equipment. Four boats left from Scandinavia in mid-May and stopped in some 28 ports along the way, with two remaining behind after a recent stop in the Italian port of Palermo. On Sunday, the Israeli navy intercepted a Norwegian-flagged activist boat that was part of the flotilla. Israel has fought three wars with Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2008 and says the blockade is necessary to keep them from obtaining weapons or materials that could be used for military purposes. UN officials have called for the blockade to be lifted, citing deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian enclave run by Islamist movement Hamas where 80 percent of the two million population are dependent on aid.

The Israeli army Saturday morning said that it had taken over a European ship, the Swedish-flagged “Freedom,” captained by John Turnbull of Vancouver, that was aimed at breaking the naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip by the occupation forces 12 years ago.

After the brutal violence and theft that the Norwegian-flagged Al Awda was subjected to, just days before, Captain Turnbull had stated that the participants and crew of the Freedom will not resist if boarded.

“We now have confirmed information that S/Y Freedom to Gaza have been boarded on international waters, by Israeli navy. Latest reported position was about 40 nautical miles of the coast of Gaza at 8.06 pm.

Onboard Freedom for Gaza was a crew of twelve persons from five different countries. They are now captured and taken to Israel against their will (For full list follow this link). The boat also carries a cargo of medical supplies.

In this situation, the demands of Ship to Gaza are that the ship with its crew and cargo will be returned to the site of the boarding, and that they will be allowed to go in peace through international and Palestinian waters in accordance to international law.

In effect, this is a demand that the eleven years-long illegal and destructive blockade on Gaza will be lifted at last. The government of Sweden have repeatedly stood behind demands on a lifting of the blockade.

We now expect that the same government, in the capacity of flag nation of the attacked vessel, will also support our specific demands regarding the ship, crew and cargo.”

Spokesman for the Israeli army stated the ship was under surveillance, and that the military had made it clear, to the activists on the ship, that they were violating the maritime blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and that “any humanitarian aid could be transferred to Gaza through the port of Ashdod.”

The ship was towed to a military base in Ashdod, and the activists were detained on board.

The spokesman added that the operation ended without any exceptional events.

The head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, Zaher Birawi, stated that he had lost contact with the Swedish-flagged “Freedom,” at 10 pm on Friday, when it was approximately 40 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement to the press on Friday, Birawi said that the Israeli navy intercepted and seized the ship.

He holds the occupation accountable for the safety of international solidarity activists aboard the Freedom ship.

The freighter is carrying 12 international activists, mostly from Sweden, including the crew of the London-based Press TV.

In related news, elder and former Chief of the Stó:lō Nation Larry Commodore has returned to Turtle Island after joining the Freedom Flotilla to challenge the illegal blockade of Gaza, in late July. Along with 21 other international participants on board the Norwegian-flagged Al Awda (The Return), Commodore was brutally attacked and kidnapped by Israeli forces in international waters, last Sunday, and unlawfully detained for four days, in Israel.

Upon his return home, he was greeted with traditional gifts of tobacco, sweetgrass and sage at Toronto Airport, on the ancestral lands of Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples, where he rested overnight. He will arrive this afternoon in Vancouver, unceded Coastal Salish territory, where he will be welcomed by family, community and friends who share his deep concern for the ongoing suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and indigenous rights everywhere.

International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza on Friday announced that the second vessel of the 2018 Freedom Flotilla is 60 miles away from Gaza shore.

Head of the committee, Zaher Birawi, in a press statement warned the Israeli naval forces against intercepting the ship and harming the activists just like what they did to al-Awda vessel which was seized by the Israeli forces a few days ago before reaching Gaza shore.

Birawi held Israel fully responsible for the safety of the international activists on Freedom vessel.

The vessel has on board 12 activists, most of whom are from Sweden, in addition to a crew from the London-based Press TV channel.

In a related context, Israel deported all 22 activists of al-Awda vessel that were detained by the Israeli naval forces Sunday, 29th July.